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I was first introduced to Beton Berage with Mechanoise Lab's first label sampler, Crowd Control Tactics, which featured three of the project's tracks, including a pair of selections off this release. Basically, the harsh, cold, relentless noise of Obedience didn't catch me off guard.

Beton Berage is the solo outlet of T4L, also the head of Mechanoise. This disc, his second to date, is an uncompromising excursion into the twisted, writhing world of harsh noise, forged out of sheets of textural static, a thick overcoat of suffocating distortion and squalls of vibrant feedback. T4L isn't too far off the mark when he calls this a 'taxing' release, but it almost goes without saying -- it might only come as proper warning if you expect to relax in the evening with this release augmenting the background over tea and crumpets...

The material and title of Obedience is inspired by psychologist Stanley Milgram's infamous tests on conditioning and mental submission back in the '70s, ideas which are also explored in the track titles to some extent. Other than that it's quite challenging to create a noise release through a conceptual exploration of themes, but it's interesting to see a little of the release's roots showing through the dense walls of noise.

I was talking to a former music therapist recently who was informing me of all the different effects frequencies can have on certain people. She was telling me that some arrangements and pitches can even cause a heart attack under the right conditions. Although my first reaction was total disbelief, when I listen to noise such as this I'm completely convinced.